Saturday, July 31

Skelton's Ad Shows His Armed Services Strength

4th District Congressman Ike Skelton may not face any major threats on Tuesday's primary ballot, but he likely faces a tough contest in November's general election. The incumbent, who has served Western Missouri since 1977, may face his toughest challenge in years. The "throw the bums out" mentality that seems to be permeating much of the country would make it difficult for any well established representative to survive. Couple that with the fact that Skelton is a Democrat in a (at best) politically moderate section of Missouri and he knows that he must campaign smart to win in the fall.

Thus, his latest ad, "Mom of a Marine, plays to one of his greatest strengths -- his chairmenship of the Armed Services committee. In the midst of many negative ads running on our television sets right now, this ad is a breath of fresh air. Add to that the fact that his district encompasses both Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood and I am sure it is playing well in the 4th district, too.